Land Clearing Bid

Trencher · Nov 5, 2007

OK guys, I am sure this has been asked many times before, but I don't have a lot of time to search for it on here and would really appreciate your input if you would.

Normally, I do small jobs of land clearing (1-3 acres) with 6 inch diameter trees @ 30 ft high, in soft ground (no rocks). I usually never have to dispose of the trees and brush because I can either bury or burn it, since I usually do the majority of my work in the country.
Well, I have been asked to give a bid on a job, in the middle of town, with minimal access and eggress. I cannot burn nor bury the debris, which is the same size as I listed above, therefore I have to have it hauled off. There are no utilities on site other than what the new apartment complex has on each side of these lots. There are (2) 5 acre lots separated from one another by 1 mile, by a manicured business lot, so re-transporting the equipment is a factor.

My basic question is, besides figuring what my operation costs are, is there a basic charge for per acre clearing and disposal? I hope I have provided enough info. so this can be answered.

Again, I appreciate your help here.

Cat385 · Nov 6, 2007

This is only a job you can estimate. There are a ton of variables. How far is the dump site, how much do you have to pay per load, how fast can you take them down and load, how much are trucks in your area. Even for myself every clearing job is different. Some places I pay 20 bucks a load to get rid of brush some 10 bucks. Sometimes we have to load with the skid steer if our 160 is busy. Its pretty easy math to figure it all out.

rino1494 · Nov 6, 2007

What for machine will you be clearing it with ?? The best choice is a excavator with a thumb. We clear alot of lots in areas where you can't burn. We bought a chipper that takes up to a 15" tree. Just knock the tree over, cut the stump off and feed it though the chipper. Way faster than burning. We can clear the average 1/2 acre lot in one day. We just mix the chips in with the dirt. A 1/2 acre lot will give you about 1 tri-axle load of chips. Also, we haul the stumps out and dump them at our shale pit. A 1/2 acre lot will have about 3-4 loads of stumps.

With a 5 acre lot, you will have to haul out most of the chips. They are light, so you can load a truck up really good. Maybe you can find someone that takes them outside of the town and maybe they'll take the stumps too. Using a container service can get really expensive. Also, to rent a chipper is around $300 a day.

Trencher · Nov 6, 2007

Thanks, that is the type of info I am looking for.

I cannot, for the life of me, find a wood chipper around the Baton Rouge, La. area!

I have contacted a tree service to get a quote from them to dispose of the trees, after I have grubbed them. I will be using a skid steer for 3/4 of the job on clearing and a dozer with a root rake to finish the larger trees and to grade.

Rino, not all the trees are big enough to use a trackhoe with a thumb on, but there are 50 or so which are, so I could possibly cut them small enough to load with my grapple bucket using my CTL. The majority of the trees are 3-5 inch in diameter and 30 or so feet tall. But the larger ones (50 or so) are 12 inch dia. at 40ft high. (Soft, moist ground) :thumbsup:

As much fun as I would have with a hoe, I have to try and utilize my equipment as mush as possible before renting another.

Fuel is 3.50/gal and rising, so that is a huge factor

NorthstarNC · Nov 6, 2007

$3.50 for off road?

rino1494 · Nov 6, 2007

You can easily load a chipper with a skidsteer and a grapple.

turtleman · Nov 7, 2007

Clearing prices in Louisiana

I live in Lafayette LA and last year I had a general contractor out of BR offer my company 8,000 per acre to clear and remove trees for a subdivision. This was an 8 acre tract.

TM

Trencher · Nov 7, 2007

turtleman said:
I live in Lafayette LA and last year I had a general contractor out of BR offer my company 8,000 per acre to clear and remove trees for a subdivision. This was an 8 acre tract.

TM

Turtle,

Did you go with that GC?

What size were the trees you were quoted on?

I ask due to how much work was there to the clearing and disposal of them? Were they large trees or small like I described, which wouldn't incur as much costs on labor.

I am wanting to give this guy a great price. He has been good to me in the past and I do not want to over charge him, also I can't undercharge; can't stay in business if I did.

Thanks for the help guys!!

Trencher · Nov 7, 2007

rino1494 said:
You can easily load a chipper with a skidsteer and a grapple.

That's just it, I can't even find a chipper.. :no:

Driftwood · Nov 7, 2007

Have You tried Hertz equept. rental????? They transfer from their other yards daily

Driftwood · Nov 7, 2007

PS Maybe this is a message to You !! Lease to own a large one ,You'll be in demand ,None are around Your area!

rino1494 · Nov 7, 2007

In my area, it is around 3,500 - 4,000 per acre to clear and grub. That is including complete removal of tops, logs and stumps.

denick · Nov 7, 2007

15 years ago we used to pay $7,200 for 2 acres clean, everything removed.
Or area has a lot of mature Oak and Maple 12 to 20 inches.

Trench, why don't you post a picture of the type of growth. It seems like you are talking smaller material than we might be imagining.

dayexco · Nov 8, 2007

man, anbody answering these questions....is not doing trencher any favors....the net allows us to share/bounce ideas off each other, but we all know our regional costs are going to be from one side of the spectrum to the other depending on where we live. he really needs to get a handle himself of what his costs are going to be. if he gets too greedy, loses a few bucks, he'll go off in the corner, lick his wounds....and come out swinging with the experience he had with this project. he bids too high? well....depending on the contractor he's bidding against...he can learn where other local numbers are at. but there again....we're asked daily to throw prices out. jobs we need, want...we might narrow our margins...if we're full of work, and the job ain't pretty...we'll sky blast it with the intent of making a ton of money off of it. guess what i'm saying is...he has to compile what it is going to COST him to do this job and decide how badly he wants to do it. i can't doing that from south dakota

NorthstarNC · Nov 8, 2007

I agree with day, the variables are too great. However there is nothing more frustrating then not knowing what the going rate is for a bid. I guess worst case, you could tell the guy to get another bid and you will do it for 10% less. I know it's shady but I feel your pain in not having a clue what others are charging. I would just figure out what you will have in it, and figure just a little profit, and do it for the experience and the contact with the guy your doing it for. Let us know how it turns out either way.

dayexco · Nov 8, 2007

mxrace200 said:
I I guess worst case, you could tell the guy to get another bid and you will do it for 10% less. I know it's shady but I feel your pain in not having a clue what others are charging. it turns out either way.

what if the competition was tight for work, and bid it at cost, or only, let's say.........5%? don't bid to lose, bid to win!..

Trencher · Nov 8, 2007

Thanks guys! I will try to get some pictures today and post them. The trees do not have a big spread of limbs. The limbs only protrude about 5 feet out from the trunk. They would lay nicely together.

I was at the location yesterday and forgot my camera. :furious:

Day, I appreciate your point in me getting the experience needed to learn how to bid these type jobs, and in saying that I am under a tight schedule with this guy or he'll move to the next bid proposed. I need to get him some numbers and I thought I could ask you guys for just a minimal amount of help on what you all may pay, on an average, to have trees in your area hauled off given this time constraint. I am trying to visualize how many trees can fit into a 24 x 8 x 5 box. (With a swing gate)

I understand demographics dictate costs, and there are many variables when pricing something like this, I just didn't want to get raped on disposal costs, nor did I want to overcharge the property owner. :no: I can figure out what my operational costs are (fuel, labor, permits, delivery/pickups, rentals, etc., )

This property is in a very booming area of town and is exploding with new business; this is what the property is going to be for.

On this scale of a job I have no experience in estimating, but in this avenue of trying to give a fair market price I am hoping to utilize this tool (forum). I cannot afford to lose the work.

Maybe I could clear some acerage, pile it up in what I believe a truck could hold and go from there, but then again I would still need to give him an estimated amount of trucks it would take.

Thanks again guys!

.

denick · Nov 9, 2007

Trench,

Can you give a price for the machine time and let the customer pay for the disposal?

Then your only looking at making or loosing on your own time and equipment.

rino1494 · Nov 9, 2007

Let me ask you this. You said that it is 5 acres. Are you clearing the entire 5 acres of just a spot for a house or something ?

I will tell you this, the last big job I cleared was 7 acres for a development. That included the roadways and storm/utility right of ways. We burned the tops and stumps and a local logger took all of the logs. To clear and burn, it took us 4 weeks, working 6 days a week with a 200 size hoe and a laborer. We also had time on our 977 pushing the brush and stumps together to burn.

One thing to think about. You will prolly have to install a construction entrance for truck access. Also, if you can't get a truck in that far, you will be carrying brush and logs from the back to the front. This could take awhile. Also, I don't think that a skid steer can load a triaxle. I think that hauling out the brush is going to be expensive. IMO........I would definitely be looking every nook and cranny for a chipper.

Trencher · Nov 13, 2007

Denick,
The landowner wants a turnkey job, so I have to hoof everything.
_______________________

Rino,

I am clearing everything off this property for commercial development. Each of these 5 acre tracts (2) are going to completely wiped clean of eveything.

I did find an available chipper (Vermeer BC1000XL)(does anyone have comments on this chipper for performance?) for $3000/month that I can get with a 1 week notice, but my question is, is it more feasible to chip and haul rather than just load the trees whole, given that labor, fuel costs will increase if I chip?

The unforseen variable is how many trees can fit, when chipped, versus when they're whole. If I knew what the average is I could compute the difference of chipped and whole, then compare to T&M

Here are some pictures I took of the property at its edge 10 pm last night. These images does not do it justice when I am trying to show the center thickness of the tract; it is THICK INDEED!

http://www.geocities.com/fulcrumservices/wolf5
http://www.geocities.com/fulcrumservices/wolf2
http://www.geocities.com/fulcrumservices/Wolf1

thanks again guys!

Land Clearing Bid

Trencher

Cat385

rino1494

Trencher

NorthstarNC

rino1494

turtleman

Trencher

Trencher

Driftwood

Driftwood

rino1494

denick

dayexco

NorthstarNC

dayexco

Trencher

denick

rino1494

Trencher

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